The pulsating $3 million spider serves as the centerpiece of LIV’s new look, something Steve Lieberman of SJ Lighting took to heart as he crafted the enormous installation that encompasses the entire dance club dome. With over 400 individual motors controlling every movement, the digital beast virtually radiates across the walls into sparkling LED columns that undulate to the beat of the music or appear to burst into flashes and flames. Individual projection screens throughout the space – crafted by design firm Icrave – add impact to the light show, highlighting the DJ booth, twin staircases and layers of VIP seating.

Formed in 2008, MMG Nightlife currently operates three of South Florida’s most successful entertainment venues including LIV at the Fontainebleau Resort and at Hard Rock Stadium plus the popular SoFi hotspot, STORY Lounge. Mo Garcia, Vice President of Operations for MMG, takes extra pride in LIV’s nine week renovation process, a calculated risk he determined would pay off in rich rewards as the South Beach season moves into high gear. After nine successful years at the top of the nightlife scene, MMG decided it was time to find new ways to make the 18,000 square foot club a 360 degree sensory experience. With clubgoers posting every encounter live on social media, Garcia wanted to be sure every angle of the space makes a lasting impression.

MMG Kingpin David Grutman and his wife welcomed baby daughter Kaia the same week his flagship nightclub roared back to life. With an eye on the future of the nightlife industry, he was determined to craft the kind of entertainment experience that would appeal to the next generation. LIV’s relaunch gains momentum in the coming weeks with appearances by recording artists Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano, Gucci Mane and DJ Khaled, plus Prince Royce and Erick Morillo. Halloweekend events include DJs Politik and Hardwell who will appear October 27 & 28.

LIV at the Fontainebleau Resort, 4441 Collins Avenue opens Thursday through Sunday 11pm – 5am. For reservations, call 305-674-4680 or email VIP@LIVnightclub.com

While most of SoBe retreats into the midsummer haze, smaller lounges are definitely taking over the mid-year nightlife void. LIV has closed for a much-needed refresh and more intimate party spots like Ora, Jezebel and Rec Room happily provide refuge for nightowls who have grown tired of the big room EDM scene.

Doheny Room at the Delano pulses with a neon glow with large format art and fashion photos and modernist light fixtures keeping the late night vibe set to simmer. Music ranges from indie rock to old school jams to create what Costas Charalambous, President of Nightlife at sbe calls, “a hideaway for hotel guests and locals to enjoy unparalleled cocktails complemented by timeless music in a welcoming environment.”

Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9pm until 2am, the lounge is tucked away in the far reaches of the hotel’s expansive lobby. Follow the sounds of 80’s jams and the curated, anti-club playlist to find quiet conversation, comfortable socializing and even a little dancing when the music suits the mood.

Doheny Room @ Delano South Beach 1685 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 305.674.5755
Thursday thru Saturday 9pm – 2am, Follow @DohenyRoomDelano for more information.

As Copa Room’s entertainment director Tatiana Stewart hurries through the crowd on her way backstage, we compliment her on the polished intensity of tonight’s performance and query her about the effort it took for her performers to achieve the level of energy and finesse we’re seeing. She flashes a big smile, snaps a selfi of us together, then hustles off to more pressing business. Later she tells us about the arduous process of talent auditions, selection and rehearsals which culminated in tonight’s performance. Tatiana, who also owns Aura Entertainment, tells us …

“I had an idea of a team in my head based off of talent I had worked with previously. I auditioned every person that is on the team to give [owner Shawn Shahnazi] an example of their independent talent. Ultimately, he entrusted me with the ability to hand pick the group of talented professionals at Copa. [We] didn’t receive the green light to begin rehearsing until within a month of our preview opening… obviously, that presented a lot of stress and challenges amongst the team to deliver what we felt would be a suitable performance to our audience. [The] Copa Family came together rehearsing 5-6 days a week into the wee hours of the night throughout the holiday season.”

Asked if producing a show on the scale of Copa Room is worth all the hard work she and her team put into it, Tatiana says …

“Being able to wake up and live your passion everyday is a gift both myself and the performers don’t take for granted.”

Moments later the curtain opens and headliner Lexa Paige takes the stage flanked by four shirtless males as they launch into Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” silhouetted by Copa’s giant LED screen. Before the night is over, Lexa will also work her way through Madonna’s “Vogue” and “Express Yourself,” along with J-Lo’s “On the floor.” Busy night for a sexy 26 year-old who’s been dancing all her life. As Lexa puts it…

“I love being in the spotlight, I always have ever since I was a child… the feeling that takes over me when I’m performing for a crowd. In that moment, I step away from who I am and become whoever I want to be on stage… I believe it was something I was put here to do… I feel most alive when I have a chance to perform.”

Lexa’s enthusiasm for the stage is well-founded, especially for this particular stage here at Copa Room since it’s one of the most famous nightlife venues in all of Miami.

Copa Room’s 1235 Washington Avenue location was originally built as the French Casino supperclub, a luxurious theater-restaurant based on Clifford Fischer’s Les Ambassadeurs in Paris, along with its sister clubs in New York, Chicago and London. It opened on January 22, 1936 when the extravagant French inspired Folies Parisienne Revue relocated from the New York club down to Miami Beach for the winter season.

After closing on November 22, 1937, the French Casino morphed into the Cinema Casino movie theater as part of the Paramount Theaters chain, and after a stint as a combination movie house and live Yiddish Theater venue in the 1970s, it re-entered the nightlife arena as Club Z in the early 1980’s.

During South Beach’s Miami Vice years it was a series of dance clubs including Prince’s Glam Slam and the uber-flamboyant Paragon, a gay club often frequented by South Beach resident Gianni Versace. The late 1990s belonged to Gerry Kelly’s Level nightclub up until 2004 when it became Mansion, then finally Icon.

But, now it belongs to Copa Room owner Shawn Shahnazi who intends to market South Beach’s flash & glam to each and every one of the 15.5 million tourists that pass through Miami every year. Approximately half of those visitors come from South America, which is why Time magazine recently christened Miami “the Capital of Latin America,” a title which helps to explain why Miami hotels are able to charge the highest room rates in the United States, fifth highest in the world, as of 2015.

Opening up a non-VIP, non-DJ-driven club in Miami is a big gamble, but Shahnazi, who also operates Prohibition Restaurant & Speakeasy in Wynwood, is taking a fresh approach to nightlife with a venue that focuses on visual entertainment. Performances occur every half-hour, either on the main stage or as vignettes on the center stage with characters such as Beetlejuice, Charlie Chaplin and Chewbacca (accompanied by two seriously sexy Stormtroopers). Between stage shows, four aerialists do their thing high above the dance floor, while Copa’s voluptuous bartenders strut their stuff, often arm-in-arm with patrons. It’s actually a helluva show … especially after your third cocktail.

I asked owner Shawn Shahnazi how he feels tourists will respond to Copa Room …

I think they will be ecstatic. This is probably the only place in Miami they can afford in South Beach and it’s the only place in they can go in hassle-free. If they have shorts on, t-shirts, flip flops or a suit, you don’t have to worry about a bouncer being nitpicky at the door. They will actually get the Miami nightlife experience… they come from all around the world and expect the megaclub with the sound system, light system, beautiful people and you get to experience all of that in one venue. Everyone will be able to go in and have a great experience.

With a total of approximately 51,000 hotel rooms available nightly in Miami, I was also curious if the hotels had been receptive his plans for Copa Room, to which he replied …

They have actually been pretty receptive. They’re a pretty big part of our promotion. We’re lining up about 90 hotels to sell tickets inside the locations. Nobody has said “we don’t want to be a part of it.” They’re actually excited to join in. Not just because of the financial benefits, but they like the fact that they can tell guests to go somewhere and they’re guaranteed to get in. They don’t have to worry about guests coming back to them and saying “you sent me somewhere I couldn’t even get in to” or “they tried charging me a thousand bucks!”

They also like that we’re giving them an avenue of having a special concierge guest entrance. We will serve as an extended amenity to the hotels and their guests will be well taken care of. It’s going to be a long-term relationship and we will ensure their guests have a Trip Advisor-proof, hassle-free experience.

But, booty-shaking bartenders and flashy stage productions aren’t the only thing unique about this new club. Copa Room Show & Nightclub is an “All Inclusive Entertainment Complex” where guests pay a flat fee (currently $100, $80 for Florida residents) and enjoy Las Vegas style performances along with a premium open bar all night long. The massive club’s six well-staffed bar areas ensure drinks keep coming your way without hesitation. (We checked)

Copa Room’s CLUB LEVEL admission (currently $300) is billed as the club’s Super Premium product and entitles guests to special access through a separate entrance to avoid lines, personal attention from servers, premium seating in the upper CLUB LEVEL area with a prime view of the show, and ULTRA PREMIUM open bar until 4:00 am.

With a Grand Opening scheduled for January 27th, 2017, it is now Copa Room’s turn to make its mark on Miami’s clubland history, and if tonight is any indication, I’m expecting great things from this flashy nightlife newcomer. Copa Room Show & Nightclub is highly recommended.

Copa Room Show & Nightclub
1235 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Doors Open at 10pm, Shows Begin at 11pm
Open Bar All Night 10pm-4am

In an interview with New York Post’s Page Six, Paciello discussed the movement away from massive megaclubs and his interest in providing a more intimate entertainment experience. Partnering with Mio Danilovic of SBE Nightllife, Paciello boasted that “Rockwell is bringing something different. We are not another megaclub. We are not DJ driven, we are focusing on the experience.”

Rockwell’s Washington Avenue location formerly held clubs Les Bains and Chaos. Slated to hold just 450 guests, the venue was designed by famed Miami-based Interior Designer Francois Frossard (who also crafted the former Arkadia space at the Fontainebleau Resort) to reflect Paciello’s notions of “LA cool, New York music and Miami energy.”

With a focus on hospitality, Rockwell will offer a mixed musical format and feature live performances as well. In many South Beach clubs, the success of any given evening is wholly determined by the DJ booked to perform. Paciello hopes to broaden his new club’s focus to the quality of the venue and the energy and atmosphere of the space. Following a successful career as Vice Presient of Sam Nazarian’s Las Vegas and Los Angeles hospitality brand SBE, Danilovic joins the South Beach nightlife community with hopes to provide South Florida clubgoers a truly unique entertainment option.

ROCKWELL is located at 743 Washington Avenue on South Beach. More at www.RockwellMiami.com

Managed by David Grutman’s MMG Nightlife, which also owns and operates LIV at the Fontainebleau Resort, STORY dominates the South Beach party scene with a dazzling roster of the world’s best DJs including AVICII, Tiesto and Calvin Harris. The club features a sweeping center staircase, alligator printed columns and synchronized LED lighting programmed to move to the beat. Conceived by prominent designer Francois Frossard, STORY boasts a half-million dollar Dynachord sound system that is unmatched by any club in town.

Says Grutman, “Once a guest walks through STORY’S doors, they won’t just walk into a club, they’ll step into an experience.” His goal is to have the club set a new standard in the nightclub industry with pounding bass, incredible lighting and 60 strategically-placed VIP tables that offer a 360 degree view of the crowd. An in-house production and design team transforms the venue into an endless variety of settings so guests should always expect a new and extravagant nightlife adventure.

STORY
136 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL
(305) 538-2424
Open Thursday – Sunday 11pm-5am

And prime it is. Wall’s celebrity guest list reads like a Hollywood who’s-who that frequents this elegant and decidedly upscale lounge, which is small enough to fall into “boutique lounge” category.

Nightclub impresarios Nicola Siervo and Michael Capponi host regular gatherings that start on the pool deck (Wet) and move indoors to Wall as the night unfolds.

The space divides into a small front bar with futuristic lighting in the black lacquered walls and a main room with multi-colored harlequin mirrors and an enormous geometric gold sectional sofa that creates seating areas from which to see and be seen.

The small valley between the gold sofa and the dark banquettes lining the perimeter can serve as an impromptu dance floor or simply a catwalk for fashionably dressed revelers who keep on their feet to avoid becoming Wall flowers.

Wall at the W South Beach
2201 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 938-3130

The two-story venue boasts seven bars in one, each room hosting its own unique theme. The rooms range from a video pub, featuring music video audio and visual décor, to a bungalow bar, where buff men dance down and dirty. There’s even a game den for a round of pool and video games. Enjoy music from the ’70s and ’80s, as well as tribal and house tunes. Twist’s motto, “Never a cover, always a groove,” sets the tone for the kind of time you’ll have at a spectacular space where the party rages on seven nights a week until 5am.

Twist
1057 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 538-9478

Trade
1437 Washington Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 535-1111

In South Beach, no place is sexier than Tantra, a stylish restaurant-lounge based on the ancient Tantric principles of self-awareness and spiritual realization through invocation of the senses. At Tantra, a true South Beach landmark, the senses are stimulated in every possible way, from the superb food to the stunning décor, to the pulsating music and erotic art.

The restaurant’s soothing, romantic ambiance has been lovingly created from the elements of earth (a grass floor in the VIP lounge), fire (candles), sky (a fiber optic-lit ceiling featuring a shooting star) and water (a dramatic water wall in the entrance foyer).

Other nice flourishes include the movie screening in the main dining room, giant Hookah pipes for after-dinner enjoyment of fine Middle Eastern tobacco, and a spacious, comfortable hammock that hangs from the ceiling of a private dining room.

But, all those soothing elements depart around 11pm when the line forms at the front door and Tantra becomes one of the hottest places to be in South Beach. Monday nights at Tantra are legendary.

Tantra
1445 Pennsylvania Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 672-4765

Space has a long history of bringing top talent to Miami and is responsible for the careers of many top DJs.

Club Space
34 Northeast 11th Street
Miami, FL 33132
(305) 372-9378

photo: Dan Vidal

Either way, you quickly get the message that no expense was spared to produce a club where über-VIPs languish in luxury surrounded by those sleek physiques South Beach is famous for.

A dance club?…um…not really. More like the best that South Beach nightlife has to offer rolled-up into one excellent club.

Set Nightclub
320 Lincoln Road
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 531-2800

This sexy Saint Tropez-style club is where South Beach’s most beautiful people gather not on the seventh day of the week, but nearly every other evening as well. With chic surroundings, teepees, hammocks and flowing champagne, Nikki Beach quickly gained a reputation as a heavenly paradise on earth.

The open-air atmosphere, deep house tunes and delicious dishes may be why this is one of the most publicized destinations in South Florida.

Nikki Beach
1 Ocean Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 538-1111

Dance amongst the partiers while resident DJs spin sexy, stimulating sounds and high-energy house. Downstairs the beat drops with the latest in hip-hop and R&B. Get your groove on with sultry singles, stunning celebrities and South Beach bigwigs at this ultra exclusive venue. Mynt has been featured in numerous fashion and lifestyle magazines, and according to management, “Mynt was born as more than just a club but a meeting place, a cool watering hole for the social elite, designed as a quality establishment reminiscent of the roaring ’20s.”

Mynt
1921 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 532-0727

Maybe it’s the DJ’s music selection, or maybe it’s the club’s location on 23rd Street, but something is definitely responsible for the floating party that Mokai produces several nights each week. Once we figure it out, we’ll report back.

Mokai
235 23rd Street
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 531-4166

In its latest $2.5 million dollar makeover, Mansion transformed itself into Mansion 360, a visual experience which surrounds guests with lighting displays, video projections and a whole host of live aerialists, contortionists and performance artists, all set to music.

Set in the massive 1235 Washington Avenue space that was originally built as the French Casino in 1936, and has housed such legendary nightclubs as Glam Slam, Club Z and Paragon. With six bars on two levels and a main-room stage to host fashion shows and live performances, we predict Mansion will continue to rewrite South Beach nightlife history for years to come.

Mansion
1235 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 531-5535

With its sexy staff, professional dancers and models, Mango’s is one hot destination, and its parties have even been compared to Brazil’s Carnivale. Family friendly performances featuring Latin dancers kick off at 6 p.m., while the more tantalizing shows start sizzling after 10 p.m. Mango’s festive events are hot enough to keep Miami’s temperatures steadily rising.

Mango’s Tropical Cafe
900 Ocean Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 673-4422

Of course it’s an unfair comparison since LIV resides within one of the premier resorts in the world, which certainly gives it a leg up in the glamour department. And having top dining options such as Scarpetta, Hakkasan and Gotham Steak make for an easy transition from dinner-to-nightlife.

But, the prime reasons for LIV’s success is its glamorous design, its roster of top DJs, and the most beautiful crowd in all of Miami Beach which routinely occupies its banquettes. LIV at the Fontainebleau is a must-see.

LIV
4441 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33140
(305) 674-4680

Located across from Murano Condominiums and attracting Miami Beach’s jet set crowd, this beach haven is a most sought-after destination to enjoy an afternoon bite of French-Italian cuisine or a weekend of unwinding with a tropical drink in hand.

Relax near the water’s edge as you take in the bold colors and saltwater swimming pool. And with a moniker like “the South of France at South of Fifth,” this high-end venue is the perfect place to kick your evening off with a touch of class.

Upstairs in the DJ’s den, the scene moves from laidback tunes to an electronic haven with deep house. The glowing blue ambiance and oversized couches of the den will get you in the mood for dancing, drinking or simply mingling. Jazid, the brain-child of former model Michelle McKinnon, may be one of the smaller spaces on the South Beach club scene, but its track record (nearly seven years running) proves this lounge has enough funk to keep its local fans in musical bliss for years to come.

Jazid
1342 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 673-9372

Dream
1532 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 674-8018